Coyote Trail Restoration (Hollister Hills SVRA)

The original Coyote Trail followed the path of a natural drainage. Trails running through drainages make them harder to maintain and can cause serious sediment loss problems. With every rain, water flows through the drainage and can wash out trail sections. This causes increased maintenance costs to repair trails after every major rain.

The Coyote Trail Restoration project re-routed this trail out of the drainage and restored the naturally occurring contours of the drainage. The new trail is narrower which helps to reduce maintenance needs and also keeps the trail interesting to ride.

Restoration of the old trail required filling in large ruts. To achieve this, SVRA staff brought material in from the surrounding banks to create a natural contour. This more gradual slope and wider drainage will help keep the water from gaining velocity and creating deep erosion channels. To further help with sediment retention, the SVRA installed a series of rock check dams that slow water down and catch sediment.

To aid in the effective monitoring of this restoration project, Hollister Hills SVRA partnered with Cal State Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) Watershed Institute to assist the SVRA in the sediment monitoring program. The purpose of this partnership is to gain the expertise of the school's professors and give students opportunities for internships and valuable field experience. CSUMB will assist SVRA staff in running real time water quality monitors to obtain valuable data that could improve Hollister Hills SVRA adaptive management practices.